Forehand shots require technical precision to execute effectively. Assembling each small movement into one fluid motion requires both time and practice!
Diversifying your forehand side is key to keeping opponents guessing what shot will come next from you, so practice essential foundation shots regularly in order to create variety on this side of the court.
Getting to the Right Position
Beginners often feel most at home playing squash on their forehand side of their body, where beginners often find they can hit hard hits on this side. Switching over to backhand play, however, often poses more difficulty due to power-generating muscles not being utilized properly – therefore learning basic squash techniques based around shoulder and hip movement as soon as possible is crucial to increasing power and accuracy from one movement.
To play an effective forehand shot, it is key to start from the right position. This includes keeping the racket head lower than its handle upon impact; upon hitting, its center should be in line with your front knee. Furthermore, using your wrist for shaping will produce optimal shots.
As your swing progresses, it is vital that the arms and shoulders remain in a steady and strong position so there is no twist in either your body or elbow during impact. This allows your racket face to remain open, helping control more finesse-based shots such as drops or flicks.
Key to effective forehand play is using the wall as an asset. A deceptive boast is an effective way of getting closer to a sidewall without giving your opponent a good opportunity to return it; similarly, drop shots provide another means of taking away from opponents by hitting lower than expected and creating fast bounce towards the back corner.
As part of your serve, it’s also crucial that your feet are in the appropriate positions. Forehand players should step out to the left from their service box when serving; backhand players should do the opposite (lefties should switch this). This will allow your serve to travel further along the sidewall and more effectively return by your opponent while giving you greater control of the point by not getting caught off-guard by sudden short drop shots from their opponent.
Getting the Right Grip
Mastering the forehand shot is one of the keystones of squash, and many players start their careers off right by mastering this stroke. Achieve optimal grip when practicing this shot allows you to leverage every advantage possible from your racket over time and avoid developing any bad habits that might prove hard to correct later.
The goal of the drop shot is to force your opponent out of their T zone and into running back behind the wall, giving you an opportunity to gain advantage over them and score more points in return. A tighter drop shot can do just this – they require them to come running towards you to reach it – thus tiring out their legs faster!
Ideal, use a short drop shot just higher than the service line to get over the T and prevent your opponent from scoring any points from the front corner. Keep in mind, however, that using such an approach will require powerful shots to push over the T and into its path of travel into its front corner.
Another key component to successful shot execution is placing your wrist correctly. Many players grip their racket too tightly, which makes it more difficult for them to create an efficient swing. Furthermore, it is key that your elbow be in its proper place when hitting your shot; ideally it should be in front of your body at all times.
Once you have mastered the basic technique for each shot, practice it more like game conditions through drills that simulate game situations. For instance, try feeding the ball into an opponent’s T zone and having them hit an inside out topspin forehand to escape their box.
Getting the Right Speed
When hitting a squash forehand shot it is essential not to swing too hard as this could result in an over swing and loss of control. A controlled forehand that offers multiple speeds allows you to play various shots and will keep your opponent guessing as to what will come next.
Beginners in squash often start off learning the forehand drive as it is one of the simpler shots to master when first starting out. Furthermore, this shot can also come in handy during rallies when trying to steal back control from an opponent; its long length prevents him or her from easily returning the ball back again.
Forehand drives are an extremely valuable skill to possess as they will deliver tremendous power against any opponent and force them to work hard to return the ball back into your court. Therefore, practicing this shot regularly will allow you to build an arsenal of forehand shots to use depending on any given situation during a match.
Once you’ve mastered a forehand drive, it is also recommended to practice cross court forehand. This more difficult shot requires extensive practice in order to execute correctly; its goal should be hitting the ball into a side wall at sufficient distance from its front corner so it dies nearer the back wall on its second bounce.
A crucial squash shot that should be part of your arsenal is the volley. This shot allows you to change the tempo of a match by intercepting weak straight drives or crosscourt shots from your opponent, as well as getting the ball back in play when they have played a drop shot – forcing them to come up with better shots themselves!
Getting the Right Angle
Reaching a quality squash forehand requires mastering impact angles at just the right angles, which requires plenty of practice to perfect. After impact, ensure the racket head remains in line with your hand for maximum springiness from your forearm into each shot.
Forehand drives require accuracy as you attempt to hit a good length along the sidewall so it rebounds back onto itself in the corner, where it should die on its second bounce and land in its target corner. An incorrect forehand drive angle makes it much easier for an opponent to steal away your shot! Therefore it is crucial that this aspect of your play be executed accurately!
Utilizing a coach may be beneficial in getting this right. They can offer valuable perspective of movement and ensure all parts of your body are working together effectively. Once all elements have been put in place, your forehand will become an unstoppable weapon!
An effective way to spice up your squash game and keep opponents guessing is incorporating drop shots. Not only will they tire them out quickly, but a well-placed drop shot may create excellent tactical opportunities – perhaps countering an opponent’s straight or crosscourt drive or keeping the ball away from their back court.
Shorter players often struggle with reaching low shots on the backhand; lobs may provide the ideal solution by dropping wide enough that volleying is prevented from returning the ball back.
A lob can also be used to counter a weak serve by placing it just behind their front corner and surprising the opponent by coming from an unexpected direction; this will catch them off guard, potentially forcing an weak volley return from them.